We wanted our supporters and volunteers to know we appreciate their help over the holidays! For our Wrap It Up Fundraiser, we received more than 20 rolls of wrapping paper, bags of ribbon, boxes and other wrapping supplies for free! We also had more than enough volunteers to help us with wrapping gifts on December 14, 19 and 21 at Buffalo Berry Frozen Yogurt, First Interstate Bank downtown, and Razor’s Edge. We made $300 from our event! Thank you to everyone who chipped in and helped us raise this money and to the organizations who gave us space to wrap – we can help one to four cases with this money.

Also worth mentioning:

The Gillette Petco EXCEEDED its goal of $4K for its Tree of Hope fundraiser, where half of the proceeds were split between Fur Kids Foundation and the Gillette Animal Shelter, a total of $1,155.11 (received in March 2014)! We are so thankful for everyone who donated money at the registers, picked up calendars and had their pet’s pictures taken with Santa.

This community’s support is so overwhelming Looking for a last-minute gift? How about donating to Fur Kids Foundation? The average cost of the cases we have helped is $200, but we have given as much as $665. The Foundation only provides assistance to residents in Campbell County, Wyoming—so you are helping your neighbors and friends, and maybe family, when you donate to the Foundation.Since September 2012, Fur Kids Foundation has been able to help more than 25 families in Campbell County, granting more than $5,000 in aid. We couldn’t have done any of it without the help of our donors, volunteers and supporters. Donate today.

The Fur Kids Foundation board hopes your holidays are very Merry and Bright!

Who has heard the story of Kobe the red heeler who is up for adoption from the Animal Shelter in Wright? If you haven’t you’re in for a treat. Fur Kids Foundation board members noticed some posts about this amazing little dude on some of the Facebook pet adoption sites soliciting for funds to pay for Kobe’s surgeries. As a full board, we decided to send $200 for the cause. And now we want you to hear more about him.

According to Trinity Thomas-Stone, the Wright Animal Control officer, this one-year-old pooch is very mild mannered, despite two broken back legs.

You read that right – he is suffering with two broken back legs, and he is still happy. Aren’t you just amazed by the gentle nature of dogs?

Kobe was found by the side of a highway by an angel who took him to the Wright Animal Shelter. In the morning, the pup was taken to Animal Medical Center of Wyoming where they discovered that Kobe’s left hind leg was broken and would need surgery in the near future. And that Kobe’s right hind leg had been broken at some point in his life and did not heal properly – requiring surgery to correct the issues, and perhaps amputation.

Kobe’s vet and Trinity decided to fix Kobe’s left leg in hopes that he would have one good hind leg to stand on if his right. Trinity had this to say about Kobe:

Kobe is a tough little man. Not once during his time at the vet, transportation or afterward would you have known how much pain this guy was in. He never snarled, whined or snapped at anyone. All he had in his heart were kisses and love. After surgery, his vet said that as soon as he came out of anesthesia he chewed out his catheter, his IV and chewed up the cone. He jumped to his feet and looked around like, "Are we ready to go now?"

We’ve also learned that Trinity has upped the ante to help with fundraising. As of December 6, here’s the deal: If Animal Medical Center gets another $750 dollars donated to the Town of Wright account to help pay for Kobe surgery by December 20, 2013, Trinity has said that she will shave her head and the hair will then be donated to Locks of Love.

Now, there are two great causes to help – Kobe and Locks of Love.

So, the Fur Kids Foundation board is asking that you do the same. Kobe has no parents, so Trinity and the Wright Animal Control is working hard to heal this special pooch and put him up for adoption. But this surgery will cost more than $1,600. We spoke with Trinity today, and learned that she’s only $500 away from reaching the amount needed to pay for surgery. Please call Animal Medical Center of Wyoming at 307.682.1507 to donate today; please mention the Town of Wright account or Kobe when donating. Any amount can help Kobe and is appreciated. What are you waiting for?

Most families can cope with the financial commitment involved in the day to day care of their fur kids. However, those that demonstrate a need are faced with a much bigger issue when their pet is ill or injured, and has to be taken to the vet. All too often animals suffer needlessly or are put down because of expensive veterinary bills.

Since September 2012, Fur Kids Foundation has been able to help more than 25 families in Campbell County, granting more than $5,500 in aid. We couldn’t have done any of it without the help of our donors, volunteers and supporters. Fur Kids Foundation works to help local families and their pets stay healthy 365 days of the year. And we’re all volunteers.

Meet Cocoa, a beautiful 11-month-old Boston terrier/pug who had an unfortunate incident after she was spayed—her mom found her near death after her stitches reopened. Cocoa’s mom had to rush her to the vet for another surgery and Cocoa had to spend a couple of days with the vet recuperating. The additional costs were too much for Cocoa’s family to bear, so they reached out to the Foundation for assistance. We were very happy to help Cocoa and wish her and her family a joyous future of playing together.

And then there’s the story of Cowboy, a loving black cat who had to be taken to the vet because of an obstructed urinary tract—a potentially fatal condition that can cost a family nearly $1,000 for treatment. Luckily the vets were familiar with Fur Kids Foundation, and called on behalf of the Cowboy’s owners, who were struggling coming up with payment for the procedure to save Cowboy’s life. The Foundation is happy to report that we were able to keep this fur kid healthy for his family.

We can’t thank you enough for your support. Together, we can help more families whose pets have unexpectedly become ill or been injured like Angus, a 6-year-old Dachshund/Chihuahua the Foundation helped who sustained severe cuts to his face after an accident in his family’s backyard. Angus’ mom reached out to the Foundation for help because she was unemployed but knew Angus needed treatment quickly. Angus is now healing happily at home and bossing the neighbor dogs around as usual. His incident also inspired the Foundation to write a blog about dog-proofing your backyard because of the incident—further educating our supporters about what to look out for in their own yards.

We have many stories like Cocoa, Cowboy and Angus. And we were only able to help these loved fur kids because of supporters like you. The average cost of the cases we have helped is $200, but we have given as much as $665. The Foundation only provides assistance to residents in Campbell County, Wyoming—so you are helping your neighbors and friends, and maybe family, when you donate to the Foundation. Your donation truly saves lives. It goes to work helping animals receive adequate veterinary care during a time when their family may not be able to afford it. Fur Kids Foundation can only provide assistance to families with animals due to support from businesses, donations by individuals and fundraisers. Please help this volunteer board continue its mission and donate today. Regards,Fur Kids Foundation Board of Directors

Winter in Northeast Wyoming (ok, all of Wyoming) can be unpredictable. Just last week, we were basking in the sun and enjoying low to mid 50s. Yet this morning we awoke to a high of 14 with winds gusting to 30 mph. And it’s going to be like that all week. Just makes you want to snuggle up with your furry friends and sip hot coco all day, doesn’t it? While you’re snuggling, take a moment or two to learn how the cold weather we’re experiencing right now can be hard on your pets—whether you have them indoors, or outside.

It's going to begin to turn cold tonight. Please, if you have outdoor animals consider letting them come inside when it's bitterly cold outside – especially at night. If you are unable to let your pets in, provide them adequate shelter, food and water. You can add hay to their doghouses or shelter as insulation that will help keep them warm. Their water will freeze so be sure to check on that often. A cold pet burns more calories to stay warm so feed them more than usual. And as always, if you see a pet outside without shelter in these extreme temperatures please call Animal Control.

These are great tips—even newly opened Gillette Pet Vet Clinic owners thought so. But, here are three others we wanted to bring up:

Check for cat cargo: When the mercury dips, chilly cats often look for a warm place to curl up—this includes under the hoods of cars where they can be seriously injured or killed when the car starts. If you know of outdoor kitties in your neighborhood, evict them from your car by banging on the hood of your car loudly a few times before you start it. The noise should scare away any dozing felines.

Wipe their paws: Ice salt can cause irritation to paws and skin, and if ingested can be mildly poisonous to dogs. You can purchase pet-friendly ice melt (that contains no salt) at the Gillette Petco for $14.99 and $29.99 (for a 25 pound jug). And, after walking your pet, make sure to wipe their tummy, legs and paws with a damp cloth to remove any potential salt they picked up while exercising.

Add a layer: If your dog has a short coat (for example boxers, greyhounds, pitbulls or whippets) or seems bothered by the chilly weather, consider a sweater or dog coat. Some pet owners also use booties to protect their pooches’ feet. Coats and booties can be purchased at nearly all the feed and pet stores in Gillette and range in cost. Or, check out this tutorial on how to make your own dog sweater from an old sweater.

We’ve also found a few other winterizing your pet ideas you may want to consider:

And, since we live in Windy Wyoming, we wanted to make sure you saw this paragraph on wind chill from the Pet Health Network’s post:

An important consideration as temperatures drop is wind chill. Wind chill, which is always lower than air temperature, is the perceived decrease in temperature felt due to the effects of wind and airflow. Keep in mind that the temperature alone shouldn’t guide you on cold weather threats, but rather, the overall temperature after accounting for wind chill should be what guides you. So if it’s 30°F out and you want to go walk your dog, go for it. Just keep in mind that it may feel colder than that and your pet may need some extra protection (e.g., booties or dog sweater/jacket).We'll leave you with this fun infographic from LVS; click on the graphic (or here) for a larger, PDF version. Stay warm out there!

Created in November 2011, the Fur Kids Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education and aid to promote the well-being of animals in Campbell County.

Your donation saves lives. It goes to work helping animals in Campbell County receive adequate veterinary care during a time when their family may not be able to afford it. Please contact the Foundation to learn more or donate now using PayPal.

Author

The Fur Kids Foundation blog is written by board member and Founder Felicia. If you have ideas that you would like to see published in the blog such as concerns about pet-focused topics in the community or a funny story, please contact the Foundation. Enjoy!